If you have one over-ripe banana on the counter, then I have an easy breakfast or snack recipe for you. These Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins made with just one banana! This small batch of banana muffins is perfect for using the last super ripe banana in the bunch!
You will love this Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin Recipe
I've always got one lonely brown banana on my counter. If I had a band, I would name it One Brown Banana, and the cover art would capture the loneliness, of course!
I buy a big bunch of bananas for the week, and between my baby banana pancakes in my baby breakfast ideas rotation and my double chocolate banana muffins, most are gone quickly! Speaking of, I should really add to my baby breakfast ideas recipe collection, because I've been experimenting a lot lately.
Since we're only using 1 banana, this recipe makes a small batch of banana muffins; 6 muffins, to be exact!
Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins ingredients
- Banana. Just one lonely banana, the more brown spots the better. Completely brown is fine, too!
- Egg. One large egg, egg yolk and egg white.
- Vanilla Extract. I always bake with the real thing: pure vanilla.
- Oil. You can use any flavorless oil, such as canola, avocado or grapeseed oil.
- Flour. All-purpose flour that has been fluffy, spooned into a measuring cup and leveled with a knife.
- Baking Soda. We're just using baking soda in these muffins for incredible rise, no baking powder today.
- Granulated Sugar. You can use white granulated sugar or coconut sugar here; the choice is yours. Don't use brown sugar, though--it has a bit too much moisture.
- Chocolate Chips. Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips are the best here, but you can use dark chocolate or even milk chocolate chips for extra sweetness.
I almost always have all of these ingredients on hand, which means I can have banana chocolate chip muffins anytime! Any chocolate chips are fine here--dark, semisweet, milk or even white chocolate chips! If you're low on chocolate chips, chop up a 3 ounce chocolate bar.
Do bananas need to be brown for muffins?
Yes, bananas need to be spotty brown (the darker, the better) for muffins, because it means the banana is fully ripe and fragrant. Fully ripe bananas give the best flavor to banana baked goods.
How ripe should bananas be for muffins?
The more brown spots the better. Completely brown is fine, too! Truly, the riper, the better.
How to make Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Preheat the oven to 350, and line a muffin pan with 6 cups. In a large bowl, mash the banana very well with a fork until it's smooth. Mash it very well until it's almost liquid, not lumpy.
Next, whisk in the sugar, oil, egg and vanilla extract. Whisk very well until combined.
In the same bowl, sprinkle the flour, baking soda, and salt on top. Using a spatula, stir until well-combined.
Finally, stir in the chocolate chips, saving a few for the top of the muffins.
Divide the batter between the muffin cups evenly, and sprinkle chocolate chips on top of each muffin.
Bake for 18 minutes, or until the muffins are done. They're done when they spring back when pressed gently on the top. Move the muffins to a cooling rack, and let cool completely before serving.
Make these Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips with kids!
This is a perfect recipe for baking with kids, because everything comes together in one bowl. I've found that kids do better with small batch recipes in the kitchen, because they lose interest after scooping just a few cookies or muffins out. Small batch recipes also create less mess in the kitchen when cooking with kids, too!
If you want to reduce the sugar a bit in this recipe for kids, you absolutely can. Similarly, if you're baking egg-free, simply replace the egg with ⅓ cup of applesauce. If you always bake without eggs, you need my eggless banana bread recipe and my chocolate chip cookies without eggs, too!
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe storage
These muffins can be stored for one day on the counter at room temperature. Beyond that, it is best to place them in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 week. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months in air-tight food storage bags. To serve, microwave for 15 seconds.
Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins Recipe FAQs
Why is my banana muffin hard?
If your muffins are hard, it seems like you overcooked them, I’m sorry.
How do you know when banana muffins are done?
To test a muffin to see if it is done, insert a toothpick in the center of the muffin. When you remove it, it should only have moist crumbs clinging to it and no wet batter. Be mindful of poking into chocolate chips so that your data isn’t skewed.
How do you keep banana muffins moist?
Store them in air tight containers with a slice of bread.
What makes muffins more fluffy?
My favorite trick for super fluffy muffins is to preheat the oven 50 degrees higher than normal, and lower it down once you add the muffins to the oven. So, for this recipe, preheat the oven to 400, and lower the heat to 350 right when you add the muffins to the oven.
Next time you have a craving for banana muffins, grab one banana and make this recipe! I know you're going to ask, so let me say YES, you can easily double it, too. You can also make a version with pumpkin: chocolate pumpkin muffins.
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
Chocolate chip banana muffin recipe made with just one banana.
Ingredients
- 1 large very ripe banana
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons flavorless oil*
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350, and line a muffin pan with 6 cups.
- In a large bowl, mash the banana very well with a fork until it's smooth. Mash it very well until it's almost liquid, not lumpy.
- Next, whisk in the sugar, oil, egg and vanilla extract. Whisk very well until combined.
- In the same bowl, sprinkle the flour, baking soda, and salt on top. Using a spatula, stir until well-combined.
- Finally, stir in the chocolate chips, saving a few for the top of the muffins.
- Divide the batter between the muffin cups evenly, and sprinkle chocolate chips on top of each muffin.
- Bake for 18 minutes, or until the muffins are done. They're done when they spring back when pressed gently on the top. Move the muffins to a cooling rack, and let cool completely before serving.
Notes
*Flavorless oil can be canola oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, or avocado oil. Coconut oil is awesome here, too, though it does have a flavor.
Storage: These muffins can be stored for one day on the counter at room temperature. Beyond that, it is best to place them in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 week. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months in air-tight food storage bags. To serve, microwave for 15 seconds.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 71Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 12mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g
Other one banana recipes:
Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
Banana Sheet Cake (uses 1 cup of mashed banana)
Anna Campbell says
Want to bake these but I have spelt flour. Would everything stay the same or will I have to replace baking soda for baking powder if so how much or is it both. Thanks
Amy says
These are incredible! I substituted 1/4 cup oat flour with 1/2 cup of white flour. I also subbed white sugar with palm sugar. I baked them for only 15 minutes instead of 18. They turned out perfect. This is the first time I haven’t messed up muffins! So happy with this recipe! Keep the small batch recipes coming.
Nomin says
This was incredible!!!! I doubled the batch and got 11 muffins. Such a hit!!!! Thank you!!!!
I did have one sad looking banana originally but I then wanted to use some sad bananas that had been in the freezer for far too long.
Perfect!
Irene says
Delicious!! Just simply so flavorful and yummy! I had just 1 very ripe banana and googled 1 banana muffin recipes. So I stumbled upon this recipe and very glad I did. Very excited to check out your blog!
Laura says
What could I use instead of sugar in this recipe?!
Thanks!
Barbara says
Made these but used peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips - SOOOO GOOD!!
ML says
I made these for the first time today (snowed in by this nor’eastern, what better time to bake?!). Just pulled them out of the oven and they look & smell amazing!! I did add 1/4 cup peanut butter to the recipe (I love PB & banana as a flavor combo), and I just adjusted my cook time by leaving the muffins in the oven (turned off) for 5 extra minutes. Super simple & easy, and a great alternative to the usual banana bread. Will definitely bake again!
Sabrina says
Hi Christina, I double the recipe and I think there might have been too much baking soda because they tasted like soap. Do you think it's because of the coconut sugar? :( that's the only other change I made
Kelly says
So easy and delicious! Used coconut oil and you’re right, I thought it was great. Easy enough that my toddler could help too. Thanks!!
Caroline Leigh says
Just made these - super quick and easy AND delicious!! Thank you!
Mary says
These are SO good. I quadrupled the recipe and made them in a mini muffin pan to make 48 small muffins for my daughter's Kindergarten class party. The class kept coming back for seconds and thirds. They were a hit! I've found my new go-to for that lonely banana.